“Once we had a minivan full of children, now we have grandmas and grandpa. They need a rest stop every two hours, and they’re singing nursery songs and ABC’s. 12 hour trip turns into 14 hours.”
— Halyna, New Paltz
Friday, November 10
Reel Expressions
Need a balance to the Hollywood headlines lately? Get to the 5th annual Reel Expressions International Teen Film Festival, Friday, November 10 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House. Get a first glimpse of the work of our next generation of filmmakers! Tickets cost $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, and FREE for anyone under 21 years. The Bardavon is located at 35 Market Street in Poughkeepsie. For tickets or more information, or to register for a youth program, visit http://millstreetloft.org/reel-expressions.
Saturday, November 11
Go nuts!
Have you seen Christopher Guest’s movie, Best In Show? My favorite part is Harlan Pepper’s recitation of nuts: “Peanut. Hazelnut. Cashew nut. Macadamia nut. That was the one that would send her into going crazy. She’d say, ‘Would you stop naming nuts!’” Well, you can go nuts yourself this Saturday, November 11 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Victorian Nutting Party taking place at Clermont State Historic Site. After a tree-ID walk around the Clermont property, all ages participate in creating a nut-dessert. The cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children. Clermont State Historic Site is located at 87 Clermont Avenue in Germantown. For more information or to register, call (518) 537-6622 or visit http://www.friendsofclermont.org.
Greatest Pirate Story (N)ever Told
Calling all families looking for something completely unique and different to do this weekend! Check out The Greatest Pirate Story (N)ever Told taking place this Saturday, November 11 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. These scallywags are performing a big show on stage, but when they lose the script, they turn to the audience for a rescue, “Mad Libs” style. Rollicking fun for ages 5 and up. Ticket costs start at $15. Chappaqua Performing Arts Center is located at 480 N. Bedford Road in Chappaqua. For tickets or more information, call (914) 458-5143 or visit https://chappaquapac.org/upcoming-events/the-greatest-pirate-story-never-told. To learn more about the show itself, visit http://www.greatestpirate.com.
Model Train Club Open House
It’s a double-track weekend for those who dream of the railroad all the live-long day! You and your crew are invited to the annual Kingston Model Train Club Open House this Saturday, November 11 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kingston Model Railroad Club. The open houses run weekends through December 3, and all ages are welcomed. Use it as a pre-game stop this weekend before heading to Poughkeepsie on Sunday, November 12 for the Train and Hobby Show at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center (described below). Kingston Model Train Club is located at the end of Susan Street in Kingston. For more information, call (845) 334-8233 or visit https://www.facebook.com/Kingston-Model-Railroad-Club-157880130902014.
Soccer Youth Clinic
As my kids’ soccer world winds down for the season, renowned U.S. player Carli Lloyd reminds us about what’s most important: “Life is complicated. Life is going to throw all kinds of obstacles in your way. All I can tell you is what works for me: be true to yourself, don’t do fake, and above all else, keep on working, because that’s what will take you where you want to go.” Now, let’s take those lessons to the field! On Saturday, November 11 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Dietz Stadium, our own Kingston Stockade team offers its Fall 2017 Youth Clinic at Dietz Stadium. Open to ages 7 to 14 years, participants will improve skills working directly with Stockade players and others through stations practicing footwork, passing, shooting, and game play. The suggested donation is $5 per child. Dietz Stadium is located at 170 North Front Street in Kingston. To register or for more information, visit http://www.stockadefc.com/youth.
Al Roker Reads
Got kids wondering about recent hurricane headlines? Al Roker is here to help! On Saturday, November 11 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at The Chatham Bookstore, Al reads from his first children’s book, “Extreme Weather: Tornadoes, Typhoons, and Other Weather Phenomena.” The book is intended to help give kids real information about the increasing possibility of increased weather events based on climate change. Perhaps it will inspire your own mini-meteorologist! Speaking of extreme, did you see Al’s quote this summer? I sure relate, how about you? “My boy just got back from #summer #camp and grew like a weed,” Roker, 62. “What the heck do they #feed them at camp?” The Chatham Bookstore is located at 27 Main Street in Chatham. For more information, call (518) 392-3005 or visit https://chathambookstore.com/events.
Sunday, November 12
Train and Hobby Show
Why not get one more use out of that Thomas, Annie, or Clarabel train costume by inviting your kids to wear it to the 46th annual Train and Hobby Show, taking place this Sunday, November 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center. Exciting train layouts, demonstrations, clinics, a children’s area, and more — perfect for your engineers of all ages. Admission costs $5, and $2 for children under 12 years. All proceeds benefit Hyde Park Railroad Station, a national historic site. Mid-Hudson Civic Center is located at 14 Civic Center Plaza in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 454-5800 or visit http://www.midhudsonciviccenter.org/event-listing.php#.Wf6EJrLythG.
Wednesday, November 15
Writing About Place
Good news! The deadline for the essay contest, Writing About Place 2017, has been extended to Wednesday, November 15! The organization Teaching the Hudson Valley invites any youth ages kindergarten through 12th grade living and or attending school in the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area to participate! Our own local naturalist, John Burroughs, said it so well: “Every place is under the stars, every place is the center of the world.” For complete contest details about the center of our world, visit https://www.teachingthehudsonvalley.org/placewriting2017.
Erica Chase-Salerno likes her gluten-free cookies soft, and her local apples hard. She can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com
Join the family! 
